Dissertation_A Bick_May 25 - DataSpace at Princeton University

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1. Introduction Chapter One The Meeting as a Site of Analysis The meeting began on the morning of Saturday, September 9, 1645. Assembled around the table in an upper-floor room at the West-Indisch Huis (West India House) in central Middelburg were representatives from each of the five chambers of the Geoctroyeerde Westindische Compagnie (Dutch West India Company, or WIC)—Amsterdam, Zeeland, North Holland, the Maas, and Groningen—along with several delegates dispatched by the States General in The Hague to “assist in the proper management of the company.” 1 Since its founding in 1621, the company’s board of directors, the Heren XIX (Gentlemen Nineteen) met two or three times each year to review correspondence, reconcile accounts,                                                          1 The WIC was composed of five chambers. As discussed in Chapter Three, each chamber was itself composed of shareholders and directors from multiple cities: Amsterdam represented Leiden, Haarlem, and Deventer, among others, while the Maas included Delft, Dordrecht, and Rotterdam. Zeeland consisted of Middelburg, Vlissingen, Veere, Tholen, and Zierkzee. North Holland included Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Alkmaar, Edam, Medemblik, Monnickendam, and Purmerend. The chamber of Groningen also represented the Ommelanden (literally, surrounding countryside) and Vriesland. For clarity of exposition, throughout this dissertation the chambers are referred to simply as Amsterdam, Zeeland, North Holland, the Maas, and Groningen. The citation about the role of representatives from the States General to the meeting of the Heren XIX is taken from the Nationaal Archief, Den Haag (hereafter NA) 1.01.04, inv.nr. 5758, Letter from David Baute and N. van der Merct, Directors of the Zeeland Chamber, to the States General, August 11, 1645. The original text reads: “omme in de vergaderinge de saecken van de Comp. ten besten te helpen derigeren.” This language mirrors that in the WIC charter, Article 18. Transcribed and translated versions of the complete charter can be found in the Kiliaen van Rensselaer, Van Rensselaer Bowier Manuscripts: Being the Letters of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, 1630-1643, and Other Documents Relating to the Colony of Rensselaerswyck, ed. Arnold J. F. van Laer (Albany: University of the State of New York, 1908). Unless indicted otherwise, all translations from Dutch, Portuguese, and French are my own.   1
Illustration 1. Het West-Indische Huis, Middelburg, where the fall meeting of the Heren XIX took place in 1645. Built in 1520, it was previously used by the English Company of Merchant Adventurers. Engraving from the private collection of the author.   2
Page 1 and 2: GOVERNING THE FREE SEA: THE DUTCH W
Page 3 and 4: Abstract This dissertation takes a
Page 5 and 6: IV. “In the Service of Merchants
Page 7 and 8: for making the archive such an enjo
Page 9 and 10: Institute for International and Reg
Page 11: List of Tables 1. Delegates to the
Page 15 and 16: eported to have said; any money sen
Page 17 and 18: nexus of commerce and power for whi
Page 19 and 20: Europe the Dutch Republic is emblem
Page 21 and 22: Although the VOC frequently used vi
Page 23 and 24: Van Dillen argued that over time th
Page 25 and 26: the Western Hemisphere.” 46 Far f
Page 27 and 28: anxieties it generated, and what pl
Page 29 and 30: capital from Zeeland in the south a
Page 31 and 32: number of document series within th
Page 33 and 34: character of Dutch political instit
Page 35 and 36: Illustration 2. Vergaderzaal van he
Page 37 and 38: ecords must be traced backwards—a
Page 39 and 40: of note.” 93 But it is clear that
Page 41 and 42: formative periods in the company’
Page 43 and 44: enhance the role of central authori
Page 45 and 46: trade in which the company had only
Page 47 and 48: 5. A Note on Sources This dissertat
Page 49 and 50: 1645. 110 The manuscript is found i
Page 51 and 52: period 1620-1636. 115 For the remai
Page 53 and 54: at São Salvador da Bahia de Todos
Page 55 and 56: the revolt pushed the colony’s fa
Page 57 and 58: Amsterdam newspapers did publish st
Page 59 and 60: year by the Hoge ende Secrete Raad
Page 61 and 62: the Portuguese, had crossed the Rio
Page 63 and 64:
ead aloud, two resolutions were pas
Page 65 and 66:
On Wednesday, the same day the ship
Page 67 and 68:
with subtle differences of fact and
Page 69 and 70:
The group consisted of Henderick Sc
Page 71 and 72:
XIX. Each chamber selected delegate
Page 73 and 74:
Inden naeme den heeren amen Saturn.
Page 75 and 76:
Middelburg’s decidedly incestuous
Page 77 and 78:
Illustration 6. Portrait of Johanne
Page 79 and 80:
crucial role that he played in its
Page 81 and 82:
When the meeting resumed on Monday
Page 83 and 84:
and to steer the discussion towards
Page 85 and 86:
were chosen from among the ranks of
Page 87 and 88:
emphasized the considerable sums in
Page 89 and 90:
4. Johannes de Laet as “Informati
Page 91 and 92:
devote myself to my books.” 129 A
Page 93 and 94:
interests were adequately represent
Page 95 and 96:
De Laet's substantive work in the A
Page 97 and 98:
that, even at the beginning, De Lae
Page 99 and 100:
De Laet’s presence at the meeting
Page 101 and 102:
confessions under interrogation and
Page 103 and 104:
Brazil this meant the Heren XIX, wh
Page 105 and 106:
Illustration 7. Portrait of Willem
Page 107 and 108:
peaceful settlement along the fring
Page 109 and 110:
By analyzing the successive changes
Page 111 and 112:
convene in Amsterdam; the following
Page 113 and 114:
This formulation, which must previo
Page 115 and 116:
Amsterdam or Middelburg. 29 In this
Page 117 and 118:
(1566-1626), later burgemeester of
Page 119 and 120:
placed next to his description of t
Page 121 and 122:
That these two provisions remained
Page 123 and 124:
provinces. The creation of the WIC
Page 125 and 126:
The result was that the delegates f
Page 127 and 128:
to the original charter gave the ch
Page 129 and 130:
thus shows the political—as oppos
Page 131 and 132:
1/10 of the equipagie and two direc
Page 133 and 134:
taken place. Once the draft letter
Page 135 and 136:
Table 5. Seating for the delegation
Page 137 and 138:
phase of the company’s Groot Dess
Page 139 and 140:
to be understood the sending over o
Page 141 and 142:
But by far the most important trans
Page 143 and 144:
Illustration 8. Map of Mauritstad a
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geographers whose works remain a tr
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important military, administrative,
Page 149 and 150:
noblemen played in overseas adminis
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good order, police and justice, and
Page 153 and 154:
the council's size and authority, d
Page 155 and 156:
servants. These individuals may not
Page 157 and 158:
At this point the election was comp
Page 159 and 160:
(Receiver General) of the United Pr
Page 161 and 162:
Why did these candidates all refuse
Page 163 and 164:
Alexander's name was almost certain
Page 165 and 166:
None of the remaining records indic
Page 167 and 168:
would be profitable and that their
Page 169 and 170:
Haecxs thanked them for the honor t
Page 171 and 172:
On June 22, 1645—just a week befo
Page 173 and 174:
5. Wolter Schonenborch and the Ritu
Page 175 and 176:
with the WIC presumably did not go
Page 177 and 178:
Haecx recorded in his diary that on
Page 179 and 180:
wavered, for De Laet, who was many
Page 181 and 182:
privately to Brazil, legally or ill
Page 183 and 184:
1. Introduction Chapter Five Free T
Page 185 and 186:
left relatively open. 6 Where monop
Page 187 and 188:
community saw greater profits in pr
Page 189 and 190:
and close trade to private merchant
Page 191 and 192:
trouble paying its bills, especiall
Page 193 and 194:
means to capitalize the company wit
Page 195 and 196:
director than his trade to Brazil,
Page 197 and 198:
With the verhoging stalled, and ani
Page 199 and 200:
e handled without gloves.” 55 In
Page 201 and 202:
“walking the land half-naked” f
Page 203 and 204:
While the resolution as a whole sho
Page 205 and 206:
along with the two powerful Amsterd
Page 207 and 208:
Cornelis Melijn, of a patroonschap
Page 209 and 210:
this measure, he said, “no one in
Page 211 and 212:
maintaining the company's solvency,
Page 213 and 214:
colony, overestimated the number of
Page 215 and 216:
And Maurits offered another argumen
Page 217 and 218:
Stellingwerf, who sat in the States
Page 219 and 220:
Provinces, plus smaller fees of 3%
Page 221 and 222:
exclude private merchants from the
Page 223 and 224:
clamoring for slaves. 136 The probl
Page 225 and 226:
expedition's success, along with de
Page 227 and 228:
trading locations on the Gold Coast
Page 229 and 230:
directly from New Netherland, and s
Page 231 and 232:
over trade was simply the projectio
Page 233 and 234:
the area in which the company was b
Page 235 and 236:
had not yet been renewed. 4 As the
Page 237 and 238:
to the Dutch state, and that this d
Page 239 and 240:
ookkeeping from late-fifteenth cent
Page 241 and 242:
ambitions. 21 Although neither Spec
Page 243 and 244:
expenses at each of the company's c
Page 245 and 246:
included. 34 In Specx’s estimatio
Page 247 and 248:
calculations yielded a profit of 41
Page 249 and 250:
notes on these documents, suggest t
Page 251 and 252:
It was, of course, a fiction. With
Page 253 and 254:
to hang from the body [...] This sh
Page 255 and 256:
van West-Indien (New World, or a De
Page 257 and 258:
title page of the revised edition a
Page 259 and 260:
It occurred to me that these miracu
Page 261 and 262:
third in the Kort Verhael. This rep
Page 263 and 264:
This extraordinary conclusion might
Page 265 and 266:
enemy” and the positive effects o
Page 267 and 268:
appeared in the late 1630s in the c
Page 269 and 270:
versus settlement. He was also more
Page 271 and 272:
An exceptionally cold winter delaye
Page 273 and 274:
failure of Dutch imperialism from t
Page 275 and 276:
that focuses on political and imper
Page 277 and 278:
support to the WIC, but they also i
Page 279 and 280:
Maurits predicted and which was not
Page 281 and 282:
British Library Additional Manuscri
Page 283 and 284:
Burke, Peter. A Social History of K
Page 285 and 286:
Goffman, Erving. Frame Analysis: An
Page 287 and 288:
Jonge, J. K. J. De Oorsprong van Ne
Page 289 and 290:
Noorlander, Danny L. “Serving God
Page 291 and 292:
Smith, Adam. An Inquiry into the Na
Page 293:
1624-1654, edited by Marianne L. Wi
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